This invention relates to parallel processors.
Parallel processing is an efficient form of information processing of concurrent events in a computing process. Parallel processing demands concurrent execution of many programs in a computer, in contrast to sequential processing. In the context of a parallel processor, parallelism involves doing more than one function at the same time. Unlike a serial paradigm in which all tasks are performed sequentially at a single station or a pipelined machine where tasks are performed at specialized stations, with parallel processing, multiple stations are provided with each station capable of performing all tasks. That is, in general, all or some of the stations work simultaneously and independently on the same or common elements of a problem. Certain problems are suitable for solution by applying parallel processing.
A processor is disclosed that can map a request from a central processing unit that uses memory-mapped input-output space to a second processing domain. In general, a request addressed to the input-output space of the central processing unit is converted to a corresponding command that simulates an operation between components in the second processing domain. The command is executed in the second processing domain. Information is accessed according to the request in response to executing the command.